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Yankees’ Posada on Disabled List for First Time

CLEVELAND — Jorge Posada seemed to be fighting back tears Sunday in the Yankees’ clubhouse. Posada is a proud catcher, honest with his emotions, and he had never been on the disabled list in his 13-year career. The streak is over now, as Posada has given in to the pain in his damaged right shoulder.

“It’s the biggest disappointment of my career, probably,” Posada said. “Being on the D.L., not being able to participate in games, it’s really tough for me. I thought it was coming along, but it’s not. We have to find out what’s really bothering me.”

Posada’s last magnetic resonance imaging test revealed a tear in his subscapularis muscle, an injury he believed would heal as he strengthened the shoulder throughout the season. He did not start at catcher for two weeks in mid-April, but the pain returned Saturday and was still there Sunday.

Posada will return to New York with the Yankees after Monday’s game, and he said he wanted to visit Dr. James Andrews, the orthopedic surgeon in Birmingham, Ala., who operated on his labrum in 2001.

Andrews has read the M.R.I. results, and Posada has said that surgery will not be necessary. But the problem has not improved as Posada hoped, raising the specter of an operation.

After the initial M.R.I., the Yankees said the injury was a strained shoulder. But a strain is a euphemism for a tear, and Posada seemed concerned about the extent of it.

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Jorge Posada said his shoulder first felt dead on April 8.Credit
Ron Schwane/Associated Press

“It’s not getting any better, so we’ve got to find out what it really is,” Posada said. “The M.R.I. showed a strained muscle, and I think it’s more than that.”

Posada made an off-balance throw on opening night, and he did not start at catcher the next three games. He caught three of the next four, but he said his shoulder felt dead after a game at Kansas City on April 8, when the Royals ran on him repeatedly.

Manager Joe Girardi said he did not believe an M.R.I. was necessary, but Posada asked to have one. Because the injury did not hurt him as a hitter, Posada stayed on the active roster and served as a designated hitter.

He started at first base April 19, three days before he returned to catching, but he made it clear Sunday that he would not be shifted there again. Posada, 36, signed a four-year, $52.4 million contract last winter to be a catcher, and he said he intended to play that position for the length of the deal.

“I’m not playing first base,” Posada said. “I’m a catcher. We’ve got seven first basemen.”

José Molina, a strong defensive player batting .267, will become the Yankees’ everyday catcher. The problem is finding a backup. The Yankees were hopeful enough about Posada’s recovery that a veteran reserve, Chad Moeller, was designated for assignment Friday.

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Texas' Mark Teixeira was out in the sixth as he crashed into Jorge Posada during a May 2006 game that saw the Yankees catcher hit a game-winning homer in the ninth after his team had trailed, 9-0.Credit
Barton Silverman/The New York Times

Without Moeller, who could soon be claimed by another team, the Yankees’ only minor league catcher with major league experience is Chris Stewart, 26, who will join the team on Monday. Stewart played briefly with the Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers the last two seasons.

“I know José’s going to do a good job, and whoever comes in,” he continued, adding that he thought Moeller did a great job while with the Yankees and that, “I’m hoping we can have him back.”

“But it’s really disappointing to work really hard and not feel good. I worked really hard to be back at it. I’m even apologizing to the Yankees, because I signed a good contract.”

Posada came into this season ranked second in the majors, to Jason Kendall, in games caught during the last eight years. He is first among catchers in home runs, runs batted in and walks in that stretch. This season, he is hitting .302 with a homer and 11 R.B.I.

Around the clubhouse, nearly every player who was asked about Posada also mentioned his leadership.

“It’s huge,” Alex Rodriguez said. “We count on Jorge for so many things — leadership, catching. We are very fortunate to have José here, because he’s a very good catcher. But it’s hard to replace him.”

Joba Chamberlain said: “It’s frustrating for him, but it’s more frustrating for us to see him go through that. You know how good of a player he is, and he’s battling for us every day, trying to be out there for his teammates. It’s April, and we need him for the later months. It’s going to be good, because he’s going to get through it.”

That was the most optimistic viewpoint, and Posada could not share it. After dealing with pain for almost a month, he is ready to find more answers about a shoulder that has not healed.

A version of this article appears in print on , on page D1 of the New York edition with the headline: Posada Is Headed To Disabled List For the First Time. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe